In this eraÂ ofÂ testingÂ ,Â itâ€™sÂ a goodÂ time toÂ reflect on the elements of Â Mastery Learning as an instructional model and see how it may benefit theÂ 21st centuryÂ English Language Learner.Â ESL students of every proficiency levelÂ can benefit from this approach.

ELLsÂ routinelyÂ participate inÂ standardized assessmentsÂ that are designed for native language speakers.Â OftentimesÂ these students cannot accurately demonstrateÂ theirÂ mastery of a topic without yetÂ having mastery of the English language.

WithÂ theÂ iPadÂ andÂ a masteryÂ learning approachÂ studentsÂ can createÂ dynamicÂ and entertainingÂ multimedia presentationsÂ that can be used as alternative assessments that inform instruction.

Bloom introduced the conceptÂ based on the premise thatÂ even thoughÂ studentsÂ have variousÂ learning rates and modalities, if teachers provide the necessary time and appropriate learning conditions, nearly all students canÂ reach a high level of achievement.Â Research has consistently linked the elementsÂ of mastery learning toÂ highly effective instruction and student learning success (GuskeyÂ 2010).

This approach isÂ aÂ natural choice for ESL students who are often faced with rigorous content demands whileÂ strugglingÂ at the same time to acquire English proficiency.Â As ELL advocates, we know that ourÂ ELLs need alternative strategies to access content and theyÂ are not always able to demonstrate theirÂ content knowledge through traditional means of assessment.

TheÂ iPadÂ providesÂ theÂ multimedia support for contentÂ that ELLs needÂ andÂ also allows ELLs to demonstrate mastery of a topic, regardless of their English proficiency.

The simplest wayÂ for students to demonstrate masteryÂ is to use the built in video camera and have students createÂ shortÂ direct instruction videos on a topic they have mastered.Â Another option is toÂ useÂ traditionalÂ tools likeÂ PowerPoint or KeynoteÂ on theÂ iPad to createÂ multimediaÂ presentations.

Finally,Â there are many useful apps that incorporate images, video, audio, writing and drawing to create interactive multimedia presentations and videos.Â Iâ€™ve listed some of them in the table below.

EducreationsÂ is a recordable interactive whiteboard that captures your voice and handwriting to produce video lessons that you can share online. Students and colleagues can replay lessons in any web browser, or from withinÂ theÂ app on theiriPads. There is also a community showcaseÂ on the homepage or the “Featured” tab in theÂ iPadÂ app to view lessons that other teachers have created withEducreations.

AudiobooÂ is an application for recording and sharing your voice with the world. This free version allows you to create audio up to 3 minutes in length and post that to your own account on the web. You can add titles, tags,Â geolocationÂ info and a photo to the recording before you upload it andÂ it willÂ save all that with the file. The audio can then be shared with your followers or via Facebook, Twitter & other social networks by managing your account at http://audioboo.fm.

Story KitÂ is an iPhone app created by the International Childrenâ€™s Library Foundation. This app allows users to create their own digital book that includes video and voice recordings, images, drawings and text. The book is stored on the apps bookshelf to be edited or read at any time. Â

VideoliciousÂ allowsÂ users to create videos without having significant editing expertise.Â UsersÂ choose from videos and photos stored on theirÂ iPad,Â placeÂ them in order and then stitch together that media. It enables them to use transitions, visual effects, and logos. Once users have picked the media they want to use, all they have to do is tap the videos while narrating over them, and they can later add soundtracks.